Sharp words at New Hampshire gubernatorial debate

HOLLY RAMER,Associated Press Writer

Tuesday

Sep 28, 2010 at 10:30 AMSep 28, 2010 at 3:33 PM

MANCHESTER, NH (AP) — Gov. John Lynch and Republican challenger John Stephen engaged in sharp exchanges over public safety, health care for senior citizens and spending in their first gubernatorial debate.

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Gov. John Lynch and Republican challenger John Stephen engaged in sharp exchanges over public safety, health care for senior citizens and spending in their first gubernatorial debate.

Stephen, a former prosecutor and father of two daughters, set the tone in his opening statement, calling the state's new mandatory parole law "an affront to the taxpayers and individuals and communities of New Hampshire."

Last week, the state Adult Parole Board agreed to release four child predators and four violent criminals under the new cost-saving law, which requires some offenders to be released nine months before their maximum term ends. State corrections officials have estimated that it will save $7 million over five years. Unlike in the past, those released under the law face strict supervision.

The law had bipartisan support and was backed by many victims, victims' rights groups and police chiefs, but Stephen said several county sheriffs oppose it.

"I will never allow sexual predators be out early. I prosecuted sexual predators. I will keep our communities safe," Stephen said during the debate at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College.

Lynch said Stephen's attempt to politicize the issue was a slap in the face to victims.

"We had victims, and victims advocates, come to us who were sick and tired of offenders being released from prison and not knowing where they were," said Lynch, who also highlighted public safety bills he signed, including one that created stiff new penalties for child-sex offenders.

The debate was sponsored by the Manchester Chamber of Commerce and AARP. Both men answered yes when asked if they supported efforts to help senior citizens stay in their homes and communities, but things got testy when they got into the details.

Stephen touted the "GraniteCare" project he led as health and human services commissioner under Lynch's predecessor, Republican Gov. Craig Benson. The package of changes to Medicaid were aimed at expanding home- and community-based care for the elderly, but Stephen wasn't able to implement all of it after Lynch, a Democrat, was elected in 2004. Working as a consultant, Stephen later helped other states start similar programs.

Lynch said the program would have cut health care programs for pregnant women and children and would have thrown a third of the state's seniors out of nursing homes and forced them to drive 95 miles to get health care.

"He said I blocked that. Damn right I blocked it, and I'm glad I did block it because that's not New Hampshire," he said. "You don't just cut everything across the board ... it's naive, it's simplistic, it's reckless and it will hurt people."

The candidates also accused each other of misleading voters when it comes to spending. Stephen said Lynch used accounting gimmicks by shifting money around and using one-time money to balance the budget. Lynch countered that Stephen wasn't being upfront about all the budget and fee increases he requested when he was health and human services commissioner.

When Lynch highlighted the state's low unemployment rate — 5.7 percent in August — and second-place ranking in job creation, Stephen said the governor has failed to create a business-friendly climate and brought up an unpopular tax on limited liability companies that was later repealed.

Lynch offered a different take on what "LLC" could stand for.

"When you hear LLC, which you'll hear over and over again, think of less education aid to the communities, less health care — because he's gonna cut that — and crushing property taxes because that's the only way he's going to end up cutting the budget by 10 percent across the board."

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